Ciambellone
The plain ring cake that sits under a cloth in Italian kitchens all week, dunked in coffee at breakfast and in milk by children after school.
Photograph credit: Ciambellone Brioche all'arancia e frutta secca by DinaBenedettoFerrandina · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Method
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Butter and flour a 24 cm ring tin thoroughly, including the central funnel.
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Whisk the eggs and sugar 5 minutes, until pale, thick and tripled in volume.
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Whisk in the oil in a steady stream, then the milk, zest and vanilla.
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Sift the flour, baking powder and salt over the top and fold them in until just combined.
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Pour into the tin and bake at 160C fan / 180C / gas 4 for 50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
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Cool 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a rack.
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Dust with icing sugar once cool.
Chef’s Tips
- Oil, not butter. It is what keeps it soft all week.
- Five minutes of whisking. It is the only aeration there is.
- Flour the funnel as well as the sides.
Pairing Suggestions
- Coffee
- A glass of milk
- Jam on the side
Storage & Reheating
Under a cloth at room temperature for 5 days. Freezes 3 months.
Common questions
How long does Ciambellone take to make?
About 1 hour 5 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 50 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 10.
What are the key tips for making Ciambellone?
Oil, not butter. It is what keeps it soft all week. Five minutes of whisking. It is the only aeration there is. Flour the funnel as well as the sides.
What should I serve with Ciambellone?
Coffee; A glass of milk; Jam on the side.
Can Ciambellone be made ahead or frozen?
Under a cloth at room temperature for 5 days. Freezes 3 months.
Is Ciambellone suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is vegetarian. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Ciambellone?
About 350 kcal per serving, with 6 g protein, 48 g carbohydrate and 14 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutritional Highlights
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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